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- "Chuug-obo-fangowa!"
- ―An Ewok speaking Ewokese
Ewokese[2] was the lively language spoken by the furry, diminutive Ewoks who lived on the forest moon of Endor. It was mutually intelligible with the language of the Yuzzum, and contained more than three dozen words for conifers the Ewoks referred to principally as "life trees".[3]
When the Rebel Alliance's strike team came to Endor to destroy the second Death Star's shield generator, the protocol droid C-3PO communicated with the Ewoks using Yuzzum,[3] and managed to translate the Ewokese into Galactic Basic so the Ewok named Wicket was able to guide the Rebels to the Imperial bunker.[1]
Known phrases
Edit
- Achoo![4]
- Ahh-na-uh.[4]
- Ai! Wag Wah![4]
- Alaay loo ta nuv —"celebrate the love"[5]
- Coatee-cha tu yub nub!—"Celebrate the freedom!"[6][5]
- Chuug-obo-fangowa![4]
- Dimni-a-wundah.[4]
- Ee chee wa maa!—"Wow!"[6]
- Gunda.[4]
- Gupa-nupa.[4]
- Ma foita.[4]
- Mana-nachoo.[4]
- Mana-tutu.[4]
- Mechemi-chu.[4]
- Naghoh! Entena entena![4]
- Nor-karatame-sho-a.[4]
- Oh hheneheh![4]
- Oto Ostoga![4]
- Tsumboo![4]
- Yaa-yaah!—"Greetings!"[6]
- Yo khalchumbe…[4]
- Yub nub!—"Hooray!",[6] "Freedom"[7][5]
- Yub yub.[4]
Behind the scenesEdit
The Ewokese language first appeared in the 1983 movie Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, the last installment of the original trilogy of Star Wars.[1] It was developed by Ben Burtt, sound designer at ILM, and was largely based on Kalmyk Oirat, a dialect spoken by Russians of Kalmyk ethnicity. Burtt decided to make Ewokese based on that language after hearing it in a documentary. He got an 80-year-old Kalmyk woman to speak tales of her people through her native tongue, and then recorded the sounds, with the various actors imitating various portions of the recording.[8] African and South-Pacific languages also influenced Ewokese.[9] In addition, Burtt and actor Anthony Daniels later used and even invented their own terms in the language when doing the scene where C-3PO was reciting the story of the Rebel Alliance's efforts to stop the Empire.[8]
AppearancesEdit
- Forces of Destiny: The Leia Chronicles
- Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (First appearance)
- Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures – "Princess Leia - An Unexpected Friend"
- Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi junior novelization
- Star Wars: Forces of Destiny – "Ewok Escape"
- Star Wars: Forces of Destiny – "An Imperial Feast"
- Star Wars: Forces of Destiny – "Traps and Tribulations"
- Star Wars: Forces of Destiny – "Chopper and Friends"
- Last Shot
Non-canon appearancesEdit
SourcesEdit
- Wicket W. Warrick in the Encyclopedia (link now obsolete; backup link) (First identified as Ewokese)
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
- Star Wars Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away
External linksEdit
Notes and referencesEdit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- ↑ Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Star Wars: Complete Locations
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 Ewoks on the Official Star Wars Soundboards
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Star Wars Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
- ↑ Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ben Burtt in the Return of the Jedi commentary
- ↑ Star Wars: Behind the Magic
